Vladimir Putin considers the setting up of the consultative group on Kaliningrad region to be useful

Vladimir Putin described the setting up of a special consultative group of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry to study problems of the Kaliningrad Region (a Russian enclave on the Baltic Sea) as useful. The forthcoming enlargement of the European Union will create problems for the region's links with the rest of Russia.

Speaking at the 4th meeting of the Chamber on Wednesday, the President described that initiative as "timely and important." He stressed that the group set up by the Chamber includes representatives of business circles from Sweden, Denmark, Lithuania, Poland and Germany.

President Putin also noted that the Chamber of Commerce and Industry could work actively on the space of the Commonwealth of Independent States and in the European Economic Community which includes Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The president said that the business circles are "interested in creating a favourable climate for business." The Chamber's activity in developing the system of arbitral tribunals, promotion of foreign economic relations of Russia and its members are useful for the state, said President Putin.